Polar wind apparatus



March 21, 1961 E. T. STRICKLAND ET AL 2,975,987

POLAR WIND APPARATUS Filed 001:- 27, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 I IN V ENTORS.

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POLAR WIND APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed 001;. 27, 1959 I NV EN TORS.

March 21, 1961 FiledOct. 27, 1959 E. T. STRICKLAND ET AL POLAR WINDAPPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 March 21, 1961 E. T. STRICKLAND ET AL2,975,987

POLAR WIND APPARATUS Filed Oct. 27, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 PGLAR WIND APPTUS Filed Oct. 27, 1959, Ser. No. 848,983

8 Claims. (Cl. 242-2) This invention relates to a winding apparatus andmore particularly to apparatus for polar winding of filaments on amandrel to form a pressure vessel.

An object of this invention is to provide a new and improved polarwinding apparatus.

Another object of this invention is to provide an apparatus for windingfilaments on a mandrel in a polar wound manner and with the filamentsapplied in ribbon widths to prevent or minimize the build up offilaments adjacent the poles of the mandrel.

Another object of the invention is to provide apparatus for windingfilaments on a mandrel comprising a frame, a rotatable mandrel shaft onsaid frame, means for indexing said shaft by steps of less than arevolution, a subframe pivotally mounted on said frame for movementabout an axis intersecting at a first intersection said mandrel shaftrotation axis at a right angle, a filament applying arm rotatablymounted on said subframe for rotation about an axis extending towardsaid first intersection, means for rotating said arm, means on said armsupporting a filament supply reel and a filament applying pulley movablymounted on said arm for bodily movement along a path parallel to saidlast-mentioned axis to apply successive filaments on a mandrel adjacentto each other as said applying arm travels in a path inclined to saidmandrel mounting shaft axis of rotation, and means for reversing thedirection of travel of said pulley and simultaneously indexing saidmandrel mounting shaft.

Further objects and advantages will become apparent from the followingdetailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawingsin which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the apparatus with parts broken away;

Fig. 2 is a side ele ational view with part of the frame omitted andwith parts shown in section;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view on an enlarged scale of the mechanism forapplying a filament in a ribbon width; and

Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken line 44 in Fig. 3.

While the invention is susceptible of embodiments in many dilferentforms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described indetail an embodiment of the invention with the understanding that thepresent disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of theprinciples of the invention and is not intended to limit the inventionto the embodiment illustrated. The scope of the invention will bepointed out in the appended claims.

As shown in the drawings the winding apparatus comprises a generally boxlike frame indicated generally at it having a base plate ii and uprightsi2, 13, 14 and 15 at the four corners of the frame. This frame also hascross pieces 16, 17, i8 and 19 at the top of the frame to rigidity thestructure.

The main frame supports a mandrel mounting shaft generally along the 29for rotation by means of bearings 21 and 2.2 at the lower end thereof.Means are provided for indexing the mounting shaft 20 in steps each ofwhich are a frac tion of a revolution. This means comprises a cylindermotor 23 mounted on the base plate 11 and having a piston rod 24connected to an end of an arm 25. The arm 25' is connected to themandrel mounting shaft 2i} through a one-way clutch 26 (Fig. 2) wherebyactuation of the motor 23 swings the arm 25 until it engages anadjustable stop 27 and this movement indexes the mounting shaft 2%. Uponrelease of fluid pressure to the motor 23, the motor piston rod 24 isreturned by suitable means, such as a spring within the cylinder, tobring the arm 25 into engagement with a movement limiting adjustablestop 23.

A generally rectangular hollow subframe indicated generally at 3% ispivotally mounted on the frame 10 by a pair of bearings 31 and 32mounted on the frame uprights l2 and 13, respectively with the pivotalaxis for the subframe 36 extending normal to the axis of rotation forthe mandrel mounting shaft 26/. The subframe 36 comprises fourinterconnected frame members 33, 34, 35 and as with the opposed framemembers 34 and 36 being pivotally connected tothe main frame it).

The subframe 39 carries a filament applying assembly, indicatedgenerally at 46, which comprises a urshaped filament applying framehaving a base 41 and arms 42 and 3 3. The base 41 is keyed to a shaft43a mounted in a bearing 44a carried on the subframe member 35 and theshaft 43a is driven from a motor (not shown) through a gear box 44-coaxial with the bearings 31 and 32 for the subframe 3G. The gear box 44rotates a shaft as connected into a gear box 46 with an output shaft 47leading to a gear box 43 having the output shaft 43a.

The axis of rotation for the filament applying frame 4d may be changedin angle by rotation of the subframe 39 about the bearings 31 and 32,and held in adjusted position by a locking mechanism shown in Fig. 2comprising a bracket 50 attached to the subframe 5i and slidable in abracket 51 attached to the base of the main frame. The brackets Sil and51 are slidable relative to each other and are held against movement bya bolt and nut 52a carried on the member 5'1 and slidable in a slot 53ain the member 50.

A mandrel B mounted on the support shaft 26? may be adjusted in heightto locate its center whereby the axis of rotation for applying frame 40may point directly at the mandrel center.

The filament applying arm 40 carries a supply coil 52 of filamentmaterial as well as mechanism for applying the filament in successivelengths onto the mandrel B including a filament applying pulley 51 asshow-n in Figs. 1 and 2. The pulley 51 is carried on the filament frame4-0 to pass around the mandrel B. As shown in Fig. 2, the subfirame 3tis disposed at an acute angle relative to the axis of rotation of themandrel supporting shaft 20 to thus cause the filament applying pulley55. to have a path of travel inclined to the axis of the mandrelsupporting shaft Zll.

A filament 53, as a specific example, may be a glass fiber roving inwhich the roving is composed of several ends with each end havingseveral hundred individual strands. The filament 53 passes from thesupply coil 52 and makes a plurality of passes about a pair of pulleys54 and 55 with the pulley 54 being connected to a suitable brake, suchas an eddy current brake, for applying tension to the filament. Thefilament 53 then passes about a pulley 56 attached to the filamentapplying arm 42 and onto a pulley 57, shown in Fig. 3. From this pulley,the filament passes about a pulley 58 mounted yieldably by a spring 59.The filament then passes to a pulley 60 and about a pulley 61 whichguides the filament onto the applying pulley 51.

In order to place filament lengths on the mandrel B in a form and mannerto minimize a build up in filaments toward the poles of the mandrel thefilaments are applied in ribbon widths in the polar wind operation. Thistype of operation and a pressure vessel made thereby are fully disclosedin the copending application of Edward T. Strickland and Homer C. Amos,Serial Number 848,979, filed October 27, 1959, and reference may be madethereto for additional description of such a vessel. In order to applyfilament lengths in ribbon width the filament applying pulley 51 ismounted for movement in a path parallel to the axis of rotation of thefilament frame mounting shaft 43a.

The means for so mounting the filament applying pulley 51 comprises aslide 62 slidably mounted within the interior of the filament applyingarm 43 having a shape to slidably receive and confine the slide 62. Thefilament applying pulley 51 is carried on a block 63 which is attachedto the slide structure 62.

Means for moving the slide 62 comprises a drive shaft 65 with reverselythreaded sections 66 and 67 with the shaft 65 being mounted at its endsrotatably in bearings with one bearing being shown at 68 and rotatablysupported at its center by a center bearing 69. The shaft 65 is rotatedby a chain 70 (Fig. 1) passing about a sprocket 71 fixed to the bearinghousing 44a and having the shaft 43a extending therethrough but notconnected thereto. The shaft 65 carries a sprocket 72 about which thechain 70 passes and thus the rotation of the filament applying frame 40causes the chain 70 being held by the sprocket 71 to rotate the sprocket72 and the shaft 65.

A structure on the filament arm 43 including uprights 75 and 76 mounts apair of spaced apart parallel rods 77 and 78 extending lengthwise of themember 43 which slidably receive a block 79. The block 79 has a pin 80carried thereby and extending forwardly thereof to rotatably mount aplate 81 carrying a pair of spaced apart half nuts 82 and 83 which arealternately engageable with the threaded sections 66 and 67 of therotatable shaft 65, respectively. As shown in Fig. 3 the half nut 83 isin engagement with the threaded section 67 whereby the block 79 istraveling toward the left with a resultant movement of the slide 62toward the right by interconnections as subsequently described. Theseinterconnections comprise a pin 85 extending rearwardly from the block79 and connected to a lever 86 pivoted on the filament applying armmember 43 by a pin 87 and with its slotted lower end connected by a bolt88 to an arm 89 connected to the slide 62. Thus it will be seen thatlinear movement of the block 79 results in pivoting of the lever 86with. resultant linear movement of the slide 62.

Means are provided for shifting the engagement of half nuts 82 and 83relative to the threaded shaft 65 comprising a pair of adjustable limitstops '90 and 91 carried on extensions of the frame uprights 75 and 76,indicated at 92 and 93, respectively. With the parts positioned as shownin Fig. 3, the block 79 is still traveling toward the left and a lever94 is in engagement with stop '90 and has moved a partial distancetoward the right relative to the block 79 about a pin 93a carried onblock 79 and on which the lever 94 is pivoted. An intermediate plate 95is also pivoted on the pin 80 and intereonnected with the lever 94 by apin 96 having a bushing 97 carrying a pin 98 at a right angle. A lug 99slidablyreceives the pin 98 and captures a spring 100 on pin 98positioned between the bushing 97 and lug 99 whereby an overcenterspring arrangement is provided. The lug 99 is carried on an arm 101extended from the nut mounting plate ,81 whereby further movement of thelever 94 toward the right as viewed in Fig.

3 will carry the pin 96 to the right and move the spring 100 overcenterwhich will result in swinging the plate extension 101 counterclockwiseto raise the half nut 83 from engagement with the threaded shaft andmove the half nut 82 into engagement therewith. In shifting movement, ablock 102 carried on the intermediate plate will be struck by a plunger103 of a switch 104. This switch is suitably connected in a circuithaving a solenoid control valve for momentarily energizing the valve tooperate the index cylinder 23 for the mandrel supporting shaft 20. On asubsequent reverse shift of the plate 81 a similar shift 105 will haveits plunger 106 shifted by the block 102 to again actuate the indexcylinder 23. The block 102 is shown out of contact with the switchplunger 106 in Fig. 3 due to the fact that the lever 94 has been movedsufficiently to cause this separation at the beginning of a shiftoperation. The throw of the overcenter spring is limited by an auxiliaryplate 110 connected to the lever 94 which operates between adjustablelimit stops 111 and 112 carried on the block 79.

In operation, a mandrel B is supported on the shaft 20 and is held in afixed position while the filament applying frame 40 makes a series ofrevolutions about its axis of rotation as defined by the shaft 43a whichis disposed at an angle as set up by adjustment of the subframe 30. Uponeach revolution of the filament applying arm 40 the filament applyingpulley 51 is moved along a path parallel to the axis of shaft 43a adistance equal to a filament width whereby successive filament lengthsare laid upon the mandrel substantially adjacent to each other. After apredetermined width of filaments, herein called a ribbon width, is laiddown upon the mandrel and as determined by the setting of the adjustablestop members 90 and 91, the shiftable plate 81 is caused to shift toreverse the connections with the threaded shaft 65 and cause thefilament applying pulley 51 to travel in the opposite direction alongthe same path. At the time that the plate 81 is shifted to reverse thedrive to the pulley 51 one of the switches 104 or will also be engagedand through a suitable circuit energize the indexing cylinder 23 toindex the mandrel shaft 20 through the one-way clutch 26. The filamentapplying pulley 51 then lays down a succeeding ribbon width until alimit is reached as determined by one or the other of the stop members90 and 91 and the drive is again reversed and the mandrel shaft 20indexed. This operation is continued until a desired number of layers offilament lengths is applied upon the mandrel and as the thickness of thefilaments increases the slope of the path defined by the filamentapplying pulley 51 may be changed by varying the tilt of the subframe 30to thus render the path more steep. This causes the filaments to followclosely adjacent fittings at the poles of the mandrel B.

We claim:

1. Apparatus for winding filaments on a mandrel to form a pressurevessel comprising a frame, a rotatable mandrel shaft on said frame,means for indexing said shaft by steps of less than a revolution, asubframe pivotally mounted on said frame for movement about an axisintersecting, at a first intersection, said mandrel shaft rotation axisat a right angle, a filament applying arm rotatably mounted on saidsubframe for rotation about an axis extending to said firstintersection, means for rotating said arm, means on said arm supportinga filament supply reel and filament tensioning means, and a filamentapplying pulley movably mounted on said arm for bodily movement along apath parallel to said last mentioned axis to apply successive filamentlengths on a mandrel adjacent to. each other as the arm rotates aboutthe mandrel.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 in which a slide is carried on saidfilament applying arm for movement parallel to said axis of armrotation, said filament applying pulley being mounted on said slide,means on said arm for reciprocating said slide through a stroke equal toa ribbon width of filaments, and means responsive to a change indirection of slide travel for actuating said shaft indexing means.

3. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 including means for holding saidsubframe in one of a plurality of different positions of adjustmentabout the pivotal axis therefor to adjust the slope of the path ofpulley travel.

4. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 including means for mounting andmoving said pulley comprising a block movably mounted on said arm, anoppositely threaded shaft rotatably mounted on said arm extendingparallel to said pulley path, a sprocket on said threaded shaft and achain extending therearound and held against movement whereby the armrotation rotates said threaded shaft, a plate pivoted on said block andcarrying a pair of spaced apart threaded members for alternateengagement with the threaded shaft, a pair of limit stops on said arm, adag member pivotally carried by said block and shiftable by contact witha limit stop, means for shifting the plate when the flag member shiftsto reverse the drive to the block, and motion connections between theblock and the slide mounting the pulley.

5. A filament apparatus comprising a frame, a man drel mounting shaftrotatably mounted on said frame, means for indexing said shaft afraction of a revolution per step, a subframe including a first memberpivotally mounted on said frame for rotation about an axis intersectingsaid mounting shaft axis of rotation, at second member on said subframeextending substantially normal to said first member, a filament applyingarm rotatably mounted on said second member for rotation about an axisextending toward said mandrel mounting shaft rotation axis, a devicemounted on said arm for progressively guiding a filament length onto amandrel as said device travels in a path inclined to said mandrelmounting shaft axis of rotation, reversible means for moving said devicein a path parallel to the arm axis of rotation to apply a plurality offilament lengths on a mandrel in a ribbon width, and means for actuatingsaid indexing means when said device changes direction.

6. An apparatus as defined in claim 5 in which said reversible means formoving said device comprises an oppositely threaded rotating shaftrotatably mounted on said arm, a block movably mounted on said arm, apair of threaded members pivotally carried by said block for alternateengagement with said threaded shaft, and means for shifting saidthreaded members when said device has traveled a predetermined distance.

7. Apparatus for winding filaments on a mandrel comprising a frame, arotatable mandrel support on said frame, means for indexing said supportby individual steps each being a fraction of a revolution, a subframepivotally mounted on said frame for movement about an axis intersecting,at a first intersection, said mandrel support rotation axis at a rightangle, a filament applying arm rotatably mounted on said subframe forrotation about an axis extending toward said first intersection, meansfor rotating said arm, means on said arm supporting a filament supplyreel and filament tensioning means, and filament applying means movablymounted on said arm for bodily movement along a path parallel to saidlast mentioned axis to apply successive filament lengths on a stationarymandrel adjacent to each other as the arm rotates about the mandrel.

8. Apparatus as defined in claim 7 in which a slide is carried on saidfilament applying arm for movement parallel to said axis of armrotation, said filament applying means including a pulley mounted onsaid slide, means on said arm for reciprocating said slide through astroke equal to a ribbon width of filaments, and means responsive toslide travel through a stroke for actuating said support indexing means.

Wentz Nov. 4, 1958 Wentz Aug. 25, 1959

